Controlling mechanism for internal-combustion engines



H. T. HOESEL. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FIL ED IULY3I, I91?- 3 S HEETSSHEET I.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

WITNESSES H. T. HOESEL. I CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY3I, I9I7- Patented Oct. 5 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

H. T. HOESEL.

AP PLICATION FILED JULY 31,1917.

I NFI Ev N W CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

W! T IVESS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY 'r. HOESEL, or nnmnntes'r, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. T0 AUGUST MIETZ CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. GOEEORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed July 31, 1917. Serial No. 183,727.

Elmhurst, Long Island, county of Queens,

State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controlling Mechanisms for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to controlling mechanisms for internal combustion engines and more particularly to that type thereof commonly known as oil engines in whlch the initial motive power at the starting of the engine, in many forms thereof, is compressed air. In such engines after a sufiicient momentum has been obtained under the influence of said compressed air the supply of the latter to the combustion chamber or chambers of the engine is cut off and the usual explosive mixture consisting of oil and air is substituted as a motive force. My in- 'vention has for its object the provision of a the initial motive power, such as compressed air, so that a preliminary explosive mixture is provided in the combustion chamber or chambers. Other objects of .my invention will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which show an example of my invention forthe purpose of illustration and description,

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating my invention; Fig. 2 is a detall section of the a detail section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. e1 is a detail view of the controlling lever and its cooperating parts; and Fig. 5' is a diagrammatic view, partly in section, illustrating my improvement. In the illustrated example I have show my improvement operatively combined with a four cylinder engine, it being understood that said improvement is equally well adapted for combination with engines having more or less cylinders.

As shown in the drawings, my improved mechanism comprises two valve cylinders or distributors 10 and 10 having ports 11, 12, 13, and 14:, and 11, 12*, 13, and 14L, respectively. The ports 11 and 11 are connected by means of a pipe 15 and also are in communication with the first cylinder 16 of the engine through the medium of a pipe 17; similarly the ports 12 and 12 are connected with each other by means of a pipe 15 and with the second engine cylinder 16 by means of a pipe 1'. The ports 13 and 13 in turn are connected by means of a pipe 15 and communicate with the third cylinder 16 through the medium of a pipe 17 while the ports 14 and 14; are connected with each other by a pipe 15 and with the fourth engine cylinder 16 by means of a pipe 17.

In the preferred construction, the communication between the pipe 17 17, 17, and 17, and the respective cylinders 16,16, 16, and 16, is controlled by means of relief valves 17 carried by stems 17 which project exteriorly of the pipes 17, 17, 17", and 17, respectively. The purpose of these valves and the method of operating same will be fully explained hereinafter. The combustion chambers of the four cylinders are connected by means of branch pipes 18 with a pipe 19 connected with a source of oil or other fuel, the latter being injected into the combustion chambers in any well known way as, for. instance, by means of a suitable pump located at a convenient point in the pipe 19. Suitable means is also provided in the combustion chamber of each cylinder 16, 16, 16,

and 16, whereby the oil or other fuel which is injected into said combustion chambers is atomized or scattered throughout the same to form an explosive mixture; any Well known igniting means for igniting the excontrolling' valves and dlstributers; Flgl. 3

plosive mixture in the combustion chambers at the proper time also forms part of the engine in the usual way. The arrangement also includes a by-pass 20 connected with the pipe 19 at apoint in advance of the first cylinder 16 and normally closed by means of a suitable valve 21 which is controlled and operated in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

In addition to the four cylinders 16, 16,

above mentioned.

"four in the present case, one for each pis-- ton, are off-set with respect to each other in the customary manner.

Sleeve valves 26 and 26* are rotatably V fitted within the cylinders 10 and 10 respectively, and are provided with single ports 27 and 27 respectively, said ports 27 and 27 being movable into and out of registry with the ports of said cylinders. The valves 26 and 26 are constructed with closed inner ends 28 in engagement with the preferably detachable covers 29 of the cylinders 10 and 10.and operatively connected with shafts 30 journaled in bearings 31 which extend from the covers 28. The shafts30 project beyond the free ends of the bearings 31 and carry gear wheels 32 in the mesh with a gear wheel 33 carried by a counter shaft 34. The latter is rotatably mounted in bear ings 35 and'carries a. bevel pinion 36in mesh with a bevel pinion 37 located'upon the main driving shaft 25. V

The outerends of the sleeve valves '26 and 26 are open and in the operative condition of the mechanism are closed by the prefer- Y ably detachable covers 38 of the cylinders 10 and 10*. Pipes 39 and 39 are connected at one endwith the covers 38 so. as to communicate with the interior of the valves 26 and 26 and at their other ends are connected with a valve casing 40 which in turn is connected by means of a pipe 41 with a source of compressed air. 42 1S mounted wlthin the casing 40 and 1s formed with a two-way passage 43, the open 7 ends of which are .so located as to bring the compressed air pipe 41 into communication with either the pipe 39 or 39 as the valve is adjusted.

an exhaust pipe 45. A rotary valve 42 similar to the valve 42, is mounted within the casing 40 and is also formed with a two-way passage 43;wl 1ereby the exhaust pipe 45 may be brought into communication with either of the branch pipes 44. or 44 e The exhaust'pipe 45 togetherwith'the valve 7 42 constitute a controlled relief exhaust as will appear from the description hereinafter and'isindependent of andnot to be .tions 52, 52 52*, 52, and 52 A rotary valve.

in Fig. 2, or, in other words,'are so arranged that when the passage 43 connects the compressed air pipe 41' with the pipe 39 the passage 43 will establish communication between the branch pipe 44 and the exhaust pipe 45 and viceversa. The valves 42 and 42 are operatively connected, respectively, with gears 46' and-46 located exteriorly of the casings 40 and40 and both in mesh with an intermediate gear'47, as shown in Fig. 2. The latter is carried by a shaft 48 journaled in suitable stationary bearings, the shaft, in the illustrated example, having a disk 49 secured upon its one end from which disk an operating lever 50 projects radially outward, as shown in Fig. 1. The disk 49 and lever 50 are in close proximity to a stationary indicating plate .51 through which the shaft 48 projects, the plate 51 being suitably supported and being provided upon its face with suitable designa- A link 53 has its one end pivotally connected at 54 with said disk 49 and its other end pivotally connected-at 55 with an arm 56 secured upon a rock-shaft 57 The latter is journaled in suitable bearings 58 and extends lengthwise of the engine in close proximity to the pipes 17, 17*,17", and 17; said rock-shaft 57. is provided with four lugs 59 located'at intervals in registry with the stems 17 of the valves 17? and preferably, though not necessarily, in contact therewith.

The shaft 48 also carries a cam 60 formed with a notch 61, the periphery ofsaid cam engaging a roller .62 journaled at one end of the stem 21 of the valve 21; it will be understood that the stem 21 is slidably supported in any suitable manner and further that suitable means is provided for maintaining the roller 62 constantly in contact with the periphery of the cam 60.

In practice, when the engine is at rest, the control lever 50 is in registry with the designation 'Stop". indicated a's52 on the plate 51. WVith the control lever 50 in this posi- Branch pipes 44 and 44 extend from the pipes 39 and 39? respectively into communication with a second valve casing 40 which is further, in connection with tionthe valves 40and 4O occupy positions in which no communication exists between the compressed air pipe 41 and either of the pipes 39 and 39 nor between either of the branch pipes 44 and 44 and the exhaust 45.

7 At thesame time, the relief valvel? of each cylinder 16, 16 16 and 16", is open while' the roller 62 of the stem21 is located in the recess- 61 of the cam 60 so that the oil bypass valve 21 is open; theoil thus passes freely through the by-pass 20 back to its source without reaching any of the: engine cylinders.

When it is desired to run-the eng ne in its ahead, indicated as 52 The actuation of the disk 49 brought about by this movement of the control lever 50 does not permit the relief valves 1'?" to close, said valves remaining in an open position for the purpose to be more fully described hereinafter. As the control lever 50 is actuated in the described manner, the shaft 48 is rocked and brings about a similar movement of the gear 47 and cam 60, the latter moving the roller 62 and stem 21 to the left in Fig. 1 and closing the by-pass valve 21 so that the fuel now passes to the combustion chambers of the individual engine cylinders. At the same time the rotation of the gear 47 is communicated to the gears 46 and 46 which, in turn, shift the rotary valves 42 and 42 to the positions shown in Fig. 2. In this condition the passage 43 of the valve 42 establishes communication between the compressed air pipe 41 and the pipe 39 while the passage 43 of the valve 42 connects the branch pipe 44 with the exhaust 45. Compressed air now passes from the pipe 41 through the valve passage 43 into the pipe 39 and from there into the interior of the sleeve valve 26; from the latter the compressed air passes through the valve port 27 and through the particular port of the valve cylinder or distributer 10 with which the valve port 27 happens to partly or fully register. In whatever position the engine comes to a stop the valve ports will be in partial or complete registry with one or the other of the valve cylinder ports so that compressed air may immediately enter the proper engine cylinder; it will be understood that the sleeve valves and the speed at which they operate, together with the valve cylinder ports, are so proportioned and operated relatively to the pistons of the engine cylinders and their cooperating parts that the piston of the proper cylinder will be in the proper position to move downwardly under the force of the compressed air as soon as the valve port begins to register with the distributer port which is connected with said proper cylinder.

Thus, in the'illustrated example, the valve port 27 is coming into registry with the distributer port 13 of the valve cylinder 10, while the corresponding port 13 of the valve cylinder 10 is completely closed by the valve 26 Compressed air in this case, passes from the interior of the valve 26 through the ports 27 and 13 into the pipe 15 and from there through the pipe 1'7 to the combustion chamber of the engine cylinder 16*. In said combustion chamber the compressed air becomes mixed with the incoming atomized oil or other fuel so as to immediately form an explosive mixture and at the same time exerts its force upon the piston 22 and moves the same downwardly, thus starting the engine. As this operation occurs in engine cylinder 16", the piston 22 in the fourth cylinder 16 is moving upwardly therein and is forcing the air or products of combustion as the case may be, from the combustion chamber of said cylinder 16 into the pipe 17, the relief valve 17 of said cylinder 16 being open to permit this. From the pipe 17 the air or products of combustion. pass to the pipe 15 and from there through the port 14 of the valve cylinder 10 and valve port 27 into the interior of the valve 26; as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the port 27 is in partial registry with the valve cylinder port 14' at this stage of the operation. From the interior of the valve 26 the air or gases pass through the pipe 39, branch pipe 44, and through the valve passage 43 to the exhaust pipe 45 which communicates with the atmosphere or some other suitable place. It will be seen that the air or gas is prevented from reaching the interior of the valve 26 because the port 14 of the valve cylinder 10 is completely closed; similarly the air and gas cannot pass to the valve casing 40 because the valve 42 shuts off the pipe 39 As the sleeve .valves 26 and 26- are rotatably operated through the medium of the gears 32, 33, shaft 35, and bevel gears 36 and 37, the compressed air will be similarly admitted to the other cylinders and the air or gases exhaust therefrom in the same way at the proper times. As soon as the engine has reached the proper momentum or an explosion is noticed in one or the other of the engine cylinders, the control lever 50 is shifted to the designation Oil ahead indicated as 52 on the plate 51. This causes a rotation of the shaft 48 and with it the gear 47, which communicates its motion to the gears 46 and 46 and brings the valves 42 and 42 to positions in which communi cation between the air pipe 41 and the pipes 39 and 39 and between the exhaust pipe 45 and the branch pipes 44 and 44 is completely cut off. The described adjustment of the control lever 50 also rotates the disk 49 and through the medium of the link 53 .permits all of the relief valves to close, it

now pass out through the customary engine exhaust in the usual way.

Assuming the engine to be running full speed ahead and it is desired to reverse the same, in a direction which, for convenience, I have termed astern, the control lever 50 is shifted from the oil ahead position back to the stop position indicated as 52 upon the plate 51. This actuation of the control lever 50 rotates the cam 60 to a position in which the roller 62 drops into the notch 61 and thus opens the bypass valve 21 so that the supply of oil or other fuel is cut off from the engine cylinders and passes through the by-pass 20. At the same time, through the medium of the disk 49 link 53, arm 56 and lugs 59, the valve 17 in each engine cylinder is opened. As soon as the engine stops or slows down sufiiciently, which takes place in a few seconds, the control lever 50 is moved from the stop position to the air astern position indicated as 52 on the plate .51. The move ment of the disk 49 and its cooperating parts in this case is not sufficient to bring about a closing of the relief valves 1'7 which consequently remain open. The described movement of the control lever 50 is sufficient, however, to move the cam 60 to a position in which the roller 62 is no longer in the recess 61 with the result that the bypass valve 21 is closed and oil or equivalent fuel is again admitted to the engine cylinders. At the same time, the valves 42 and 42 have been shifted, through the medium of the gears 47, 46 and 46to positions in which the valve passage 43 connects the air pipe 41 with the pipe 39 and the valve passage 43" connects the exhaust pipe 45 with the branch pipe 44. In other words, the valves 42 and 42 occupy positions opposite to those illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5. With the parts in the positions last mentioned compressed air passes from the pipe 41 through the valve passage 43 into the pipe 39 and from there into the interior of the sleeve valve 26 The latter, through the cooperation of its port 27 with the valve cylinder ports 11, 12, 13 and 14 distributes the compressedair to the proper cylinder at the time when its piston is in the proper position to receive the impact to drive it downwardly. .At the same time, the sleeve valve 26 through the medium of its port 27 and the valve cylinder ports 11, 12, 13, and 14, controls the exhaust, the operation being the same as described with re spect to the engine when running air ahead excepting that the direction of operation is now reversed or astern. In other words, the function of the cylinders 10 and 10 in which the sleeve valves 26 and 26 are respectively located has been reversed,thefvalve cylinder 10 now being the pressure cyhnder while the valve cylinoer 10 is the relief cylinder, the operation being otherwise substantially the same as when the control lever is at the air ahead position. As soon as the engine has surficient momentum in the reverse direction or an explosion in the engine cylinders is noticed, the control lever 50 is shifted to the designation Oil astern indicated as 52 011 the plate 51. As the control lever 50 is thus moved the disk 49, througlr the medium of the link 53 and arm 56 will rock the rod 57 and swing the lugs 59 in a direction to permit all of the relief valves 17 to close. At the same time, the gear 47 will actuate the gears 46 and 46 which, in turn, will shift the valves 42 and 42 to positions in which the air pipe 41 is disconnected from the pipes 39 and 39* and the exhaust pipe 45 is out of communication with the branch pipes 44 and 44. Even though the described actuation of the control lever 50 had partly rotated the cam 60, the bypass valve 21 is still held in its closed position so that at this stage the oil orother fuel reaches the engine cylinders and now serves as the motive power in the same way as when the control lever '50 is in the oil ahead position.

To again cause the engine to run ahead the control lever 50 is first returned to the stop position and as soon as the engine stops or slows down, is shifted, first to the air ahead position, and finally to oil ahead in the manner previously described. The reversing of the engine from full speed in one directionto full speed in the opposite direction may be accomplished in from six to ten seconds of time.

If the engine is at rest and it is desired to start it astern the control lever 50 is first moved to the air astern position and then to the oil astern position, the ope 'ation of the parts being the same as hereinbefore set forth when changing from ahead to astern.

In the four cylinder engine used as an illustration, two pistons are always coming up while the other two are moving downwardly,- the cranks 24 of the crank shaft being set 90 apart. In order to make the operation perfectly clear, it may be stated that. in the illustrated example, when the crank 24 which is connected with the piston 22 in the engine cylinder 16, is 3 beyond the upper dead center, the valve port 27 is coming into registry withthe valve cylinder port 11 so that the latter is beginning to open. Compressed air is thus admitted into the cylinder 16 and impacts against the piston 22 and forces it downwardly. At the same time, piston 22 in the cylinder 16 is coming up, the air or other gases in the com bustion chamber of this cylinder being relieved through the port 12' of the valve cylinder 10, which at this stage isin registry with the valve port 27 of the valve 26.

As soon as the crank 2 which controls pis ton 22 reaches a position 3 in advance of the upper dead center, the port l2" of the cylinder 10 is completely closed'owing to the fact that the valve port 27 has passed beyond the same. When the crank 2%: which controls the piston 22 passes 3 beyond the upper dead center, the port 12 of the valve cylinder 10 opens and admits compressed air to the cylinder 16 whereby the piston 22 therein is forced down. The same operations occur in the other cylinders at the proper time and in proper sequence. In the illustrated example, the valve cylinder ports 11, 12, 13, 14, 11, 12, 13, and 14?, each have a dimension of 4r5for a four cylinder engine in the circumferential direction while the valve ports 27 and 2? in such case each have a dimension of 45 for a four cylinder engine arrangement results in a constant pressure on the down going pistons throughout the full stroke thereof and a steady relief for the rip-coming pistons throughouttheir entire strokes. VYhen the engine is reversed, the same operations take place but the valve cylinder 10 in this case becomes the pressure cylinder while the cylinder 10 becomes the relief cylinder.

My improvement is extremely simple in construction and eflicient in operation, is not easily disarranged and requires no specially skilled attention. In some cases the valves 4-2 and 42 instead of being operatively connected as illustrated, may be otherwise operatively combined to secure the same re-.

sults.

It will, of course, be understood that my improved controlling mechanism is adapted to be combined with engines having more or less cylinders than the illustrated example without in anyway interfering with its ei'liciency of operation.

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an engine cylinder, a driving piston movable therein, movable cooperating devices connected with said cylinder and with each other for controlling the admission of an initial driving medium and its exhaust to and from said cylinder, a connection from the engine to said devices whereby the latter are actuated continuously when the engine is in motion, connecting means from said devices to asource of supply of said initial driving medium, and means in said connecting means whereby the function of said devices as inlet and exhaust controls respectively may be selectively changed at will.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination of an engine cylinder, at driving piston movable therein, a pair of movable devices connected with said cylinder and with each other for controlling the admission of an initial driving medium and its exhaust to and from said cylinder, a connection from the engine to said devices whereby the latter are operated concurrently with said piston, each device moving in predetermined synchronism with said piston, connecting means from said devices to a source of initial driving medium and means in said connecting means adjustable to mod positions whereby the function of said devices as inlet and exhaust controls respective is selectively changed to correspondingly control the direction of operation of the engine.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combina ion of multiple engine cylinders, driving pistons movable therein, a pair of movable distributing devices connected with each other and with said cylinders and controlling the admission of compressed air and its exhaust to and from said cylinders, a connection from the engine to said devices whereby the latter are operated concurrently with said pistons to move in predetermined synchronism therewith, means for conducting compressed air to said devices, an exhaust connected with said devices, a valve whereby the supply of compressed air is diverted to one or the other of said de vices or out off therefrom, a second valve whereby one or the other of said devices is thrown into communication with said exhaust or cut off therefrom and means for coincidentally adjusting said valves to stationary positions whereby one device acts as an inlet control and the other as an exhaust control and vice versa.

4. The combination of a multiple cylinder, internal combustion engine, a pair of distributing cylinders connected with a source of compressed air and with an exhaust and provided with a plurality of ports, pipes connecting the ports of said distributing cylinders with each other in predetermined relation and leading to the engine cylinders, rotary sleeve valves in said distributing cylinders for controlling the ports thereof, mechanism connecting said sleeve valves with each other and with the engine whereby said valves are continuously actuated concurrently with each other and in predetermined synchronism with the engine pistons when the engine is in motion and means adjustable to different stationary positions whereby said distributing cylinders are caused selectively to act respectively as an inlet control for the air and outlet control for the exhaust and vice versa to cause the engine to operate in one direction or the other.

5. The combination of a multiple cylinpositions.

der, internal combustion engine, a pair of valve to the pistons being different from that of the other sleeve valve, check valves controlling the communication between said pipes and said cylinders, additional pipes leading from said distributing cylinders'and communicating with the interiors of said sleeve valves, a connection from a source of compressed air common to said additional pipes, an exhaust pipe connected with said additional pipes, valves controlling said compressed air connection and said exhaust pipe whereby one distributing cylinder and its valve is caused to act as an inlet control and the other cylinder and its valve as an exhaust control and vice versa, and means for concurrently adjusting said controlling valves and said check valves to stationary to operate in unison and in predetermined synchronism with the engine piston, additional pipes leading from said distributing cylinders and communicating with the interiors of the sleeve valves, a connection from a source of compressed air common to said additional pipes, an exhaust connection common to-said additional pipes, valves in said air connection and said exhaust connection and means for concurrently adjusting said valves to stationary positions to selectively change the function of said .distributing cylinders and sleeve valves as inlet and exhaust controls.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY T. HOESEL. 

